Yulong Seeks 14th Group 1 of the Season in All Aged
Outstanding mares Kimochi and Magic Time will be striving to raise another group 1 victory for their Yarraman Park sires—and yet another for owners Yulong—when they contest the April 19 All Aged Stakes (G1) at Randwick Racecourse.
With a blistering field assembled for Sydney’s last group 1 of the season, their respective trainers, Gary Portelli and Grahame Begg say they can only be hopeful rather than confident, even despite the habit of the green and white silks turning everything to gold this season.
The two Yulong mares finished fifth and sixth at their last starts in the T J Smith Stakes (G1), with Kimochi a head in front of Magic Time.
Not much is likely to split them again this Saturday, stepping up to 1,400 meters (about seven furlongs)—a more favorable trip for both. Kimochi scored her much-deserved top-level breakthrough over the distance in last November’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (G1). Magic Time won that race 12 months earlier, while her other group 1 success came in the All Aged Stakes last year.
But in the best All Aged field in years, there are plenty of other chances among the 14 starters who are out to thwart Yulong’s bid for a stunning 14th group 1 this season.
On Thursday afternoon, bookmakers had Kimochi at AU$13 and Magic Time AU$12. T J Smith winner Briasa was a pronounced favorite at AU$3.50, ahead of the swooping gelding who ran fourth in that race, Jimmysstar at AU$6.
Godolphin’s stable star Broadsiding was at AU$6.50 for his audacious attempt—with a 3-year-old’s advantage at weight-for-age—to drop 600 meters from his Rosehill Guineas (G1) triumph of four weeks ago.
Kimochi wins the 2024 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse
Portelli said April 17 he was delighted with the progress since the T J Smith of Kimochi, the sole top-level winner for the Japanese-bred Brave Smash, who stood at Yarraman last year for AU$33,000.
But with his 4-year-old mare drawing gate 10 for Nash Rawiller, the Warwick Farm trainer is hopeful race tactics can boost her chances.
“I wouldn’t say I was all that confident,” Portelli said. “It’s a very tough race. You could run it five times and get five different winners.
“But my mare is doing great. She came out of the T J Smith very well, and that was a tremendous run, but she’s a 14-1 shot for Saturday, and I’d say that’s about right.”
The barrier gods have not been kind to Kimochi, who was bought for just AU$21,000 by original owner Leo To at the 2021 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale before moving to Yulong’s ownership after being sold at last year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale for AU$2.2 million.
She drew gate 13 in the T J Smith, and while Rawiller initially pushed up towards the lead, he instead took a sit and was forced to travel three wide without cover.
A comparatively gentle pace aided that transit, and while Briasa enjoyed a better passage and kicked clear, Kimochi was still coming on at the line to finish 1 3/4 lengths behind him in a bunched finish.
Portelli is hoping Rawiller can find a run closer to the rail this week, perhaps outside the likely leader, Bjorn Baker’s Belclare.
“We’ve got a tricky draw but there looks to be a lack of speed in the race which might help us get across,” Portelli said. “There wasn’t much speed in the T J Smith, and I can’t see there’ll be more speed over 1,400 meters this time.
“Briasa’s got the biggest boom on him. Broadsiding coming back from 2,000 meters is interesting. And Joliestar’s one of the best horses in Australia. If the tempo is on, she could come right over the top.”
